I wouldn’t say I’m a particularly contemplative person, but it’s hard not to be when you’re standing 14,115 feet above it all. It’s hard to breathe – both due to the thinner air and the staggering view. If ever I’ve felt small, it’s looking down from the summit of Pike’s Peak and realizing that I’m less than a speck.

And I don’t mean that in some sort of depressing way. It’s humbling for sure, but humility is good. It helps maintain perspective, keeps us grounded.

The scenery of Colorado is majestic, to say the very least. If you’re not standing atop 14,000+ foot mountains, you can plant your feet squarely down in the “valley” (which is still 6,000+ feet) and stare up at the towering rock formations found in Garden of the Gods. Though I’ve seen them time and time again, they are always just as impressive.